Washer stringing machine



July 12, 1938. c. o. HOWARD WASHER STRINGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 18, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3fwentor Claw/w. as O. flow/7R1? (Ittorneg S July 12, 1938. c O HOWARD 7 2,123,780

WASHER STRINGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 18, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zmventor Gttorneg$ Patented July 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in washer stringing machines by means of which small, metallic, open-center, dished washers are strung or deposited in succession,

5 upon an upright pin or wire, to form a stack. The pins or so-called wires, are arranged in a row, composed of a desired number of pins, and these pins are manually applied to position adjacent the machine, and the pins with their stacks, are also manually withdrawn from the machine. However, other means may be employed for supplying the pins and for withdrawing the loaded pins. While the machine may be employed for handling various articles of this character, it is particularly designed to thread or string upon standard pins or wires, the opencenter, dished washers that are afterward embodied in rubber heels of shoes.

My improved machine strings or impales the dished washers, in nested stacks, on the pins, for subsequent deposit in a tubular magazine of a hand tool, and this loaded hand tool is then employed to deposit the stack of washers, singly, upon the pins of a rubber-heel mold. The washers are then molded in the rubber heel, and concavo-convex or dished washers act as guides for the nails that are used to fasten the heel to the shoe.

In carrying out my invention I employ a rotary carrier that picks up the washers from a feed hopper and discharges the washers, by gravity, to the row of stationary pins, and the machine is equipped with accessories that insure rapidity in the operations of stringing the washers; the stray washers are recovered and returned to the feed hopper; the washers are compactly and uniformly nested in their stacks, and the stacks are readily accessible with their pins, for removal from the machine.

1 The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as will here inafter be more fully set forth and claimed. In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention, but it will be understood that changes and alterations may be made in the exemplifying structures, within the scope of my claims, without departing from the principles of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a washer stringing machine embodying my invention, showing the use of a dozen pins or wires in position to receive the Washers.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine, as seen from the left in Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view with some parts in elevation illustrating the lower end of a pin with its flattened head in a socket to permit of a slight pivotal movement or swing of the upper free end of the pin, as it is being loaded with successive washers.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing details of the feed hopper, the rotary carrier, the cam-actuated throw-off device, and

one of the pins with washers strung thereon in various positions.

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view showing one of the ascending pockets of the rotary carrier with a washer in the pocket, and Figure 6 is a similar view showing the same pocket and washer, with the washer in discharge position, at the descending side of the carrier.

Figure 7 is a detail view showing a carrier section with two annular series of staggered pockets in their descending positions, as distinguished from the single annular series of pockets in the preceding figures of the drawings.

The stringing or stacking machine is especially adapted for use with a row of leaning pins, as l, of standard size and shape, each of which pins is provided with a pointed upper end and a flattened lower end to form a head 2 which retains the first or lowermost washer 3 upon which washer the stack is built. The washers are of standard make, being round concave-convex metal disks with open centers 4, which washers are strung or stacked on the pins with their convex faces below. The pins may be arranged in a row, by hand, or otherwise, in front of the machine, with their lower ends spaced outwardly from the machine, that is, the pins of the row all lean inwardly toward the machine.

The machine is provided with a suitable main frame 5 which has a suitable front cross bar 6 at its base, and this bar is fashioned with a row of sockets l or other means that will provide a support for the heads of the pins, and permit the pins to have a slight pivotal movement on. the heads.

At the rear upper portion of the machine a feed hopper 8 is supported from the frame and adapted to receive, in bulk, or loose, the supply of washers, and this hopper has an adjustable bottom or gate 9 to control the feed of the washers. The adjustable gate is fashioned with an attaching plate 10 within the hopper, which is employed to attach, and adjust the gate by means of bolts l I and nuts l2, to the upright wall of the hopper M, the wall being slotted at l3 to permit this adjustment for the feed of washers, through the trough or outlet i5 at the bottom of the hopper.

The washers are picked up by a rotary carrier that passes through a portion of the hopper, and by means of the carrier, the carried washers are turned over, and discharged by gravity, to be impaled on the row of pins, with their convex faces below. The carrier is arranged so that the washers may only be carried with their concave faces toward or resting on the carrier and their convex faces exposed, and only such washers are picked up by the carrier and removed from the hopper.

The rotary carrier may be constructed in any approved manner, and its length may be varied in accord with the length of the row of pins, or the number of pins employed to receive the washers from the carrier. In the drawings I have shown a dozen pins, but it will be understood that this number may be increased or decreased, as desired.

Preferably, the carrier as shown, is mounted on a shaft it having bearings ll in the main frame, and this carrier, in the form of a solid cylinder is made up of a dozen circular disks l8 keyed on the shaft, and on each disk is fixedly mounted a carrier ring 19, screws 26 or other suitable means being employed to fix the rings in position on the disks.

Each carrier ring is provided with an annular series of holes, which, together with the disk, form outwardly open pockets 2| that have a slightly larger diameter than the washers, and the walls of these pockets converge to form V- shape edges 22, The pocket is adapted to pick up a Washer from the hopper, as the upper rear quadrant of the cylindrical carrier passes through the hopper. The depth of the pockets is such that washers presenting their convex faces to the pockets are rejected by the carrier, while washers that are picked up by the carrier with their concave faces next the carrier are lodged in the semi-circular rear portion of the ascending pocket, as indicated in Figure 5. As the carrier rotates and the pocket with its washer passes the perpendicular axis of the cylinder, the descent of the peripheral pocket permits the washer to gradually fall by gravity from the semi-circular portion of the pocket to the V-shaped portion, as in Figure 6. These opposed V-shaped edges provide two supporting points for the washer, and as the upper front quadrant of the cylindrical carrier passes. through its zone of approximately ninety degrees, the washer, as the pocket reaches substantially 'the lowest point of the upper front quadrant-zone, tilts outwardly from the carrier, on its two opposed points as a pivotal axis, and the falling washer is impaled on. the point of a pin in position to receive it. The successive washers, which were initially lodged in the pockets with their convex faces exposed, are thus turned over, so that the successive washers may slide down the pin and be nested in a compact stack with their concave faces upward.

Between the adjoining pocket-disks or carriersections are interposed spacing rings 23 each having radially projecting peripheral agitator lugs 24 that pass upwardly through complementary slits or notches 25 at the entrance to the trough l5 of the hopper, and'these agitators pass outwardly from the hopper through an exit space 25 at the top center of the carrier.

Any washers that may be lifted by the agitators from the trough, and washers that are rejected by the ascending pockets passing through the hopper, are tumbled back to the bottom of the trough, and are eventually picked up from the mass of washers in the hopper, by the carrier.

Any stray washers that fail to fall on and be impaled by the pins, as they are discharged from the carrier, are returned to the feed hopper, and re-fed to the carrier. For this purpose I provide a trough 21 in front of the lower half of the carrier, which trough extends from end to end of the carrier and is in position to receive the stray washers as they fall from the carrier.

The front upper part of the trough is fashioned with a horizontal row of vertically extending slots 28 through which the upper ends of the row of pins extend, and these pins are supported at the lower ends of the walls of the slits. Thus the pins are pivotally supported at their lower ends, and the lower ends of the Walls of the slots provide a second support for the leaning pins on which the washers are stacked.

From the front trough 21 a central, declining chute 29 extends under and to the rear of the rotary carrier and terminates in an elevator trough 30. that may be supported and braced by arms 31 fixed to the main frame of the machine.

An elevator chain 32 of the endless type carries buckets 33 which pass through the trough 30 and pick up the washers, carrying them upabove the rear of the carrier and hopper, and these washers are dumped into the hopper for a re-feed to the carrier.

The endless elevator is provided with a drive shaft 34 journaled in bearings 35, which shaft is revolved through a pulley 36, by belt from a drive pulley 31, the latter being mounted to revolve with the mainshaft l6, and the main shaft I6 is revolved by belt-drive applied to the main drive pulley 38 on the main shaft It.

In Figure 4 it will be apparent that the washers, as they are impaled on the pointed end of the pins fall by gravity down the pin until they are stopped by the second support for the pins. That is, the pins lean through the slots 28 in the front trough and are supported near their upper ends by the V-shaped lower end-walls of the slots. When the second, upper supports are provided for the leaning pins, means are necessary to operate at regular intervals for freeing or releasing the partial stack of washers that is built up on the pin above the wall-slot. Of course, if the pins are supported without the use of the upper, second support, the washers are free to slide down the pin until they are stopped by the previously stacked washers on the pin.

For freeing or releasing the partial stacks as they are formed above the second support I provide a throw-off bar 39 of U-shape that is journaled to oscillate, and may be spring-returned, on its journal shaft 40 that is mounted in bearing brackets 4| located at opposite sides of the machine. This throw-off bar is located between the machine and the row of pins, and it hangs in inactive position free of the pins, but in position,to be moved into simultaneous engagement with all of the pins in the row. For imparting its operating stroke to this throw-off bar or push-bar, which, as best seen at the left in Figure 1 is provided with a cam-face 42, I utilize a rotary cam 43 located just below and back of the cam face of the push-bar, and in position for engagementwith said face. The cam revolves with its shaft 44; journaled in bearings of the brackets 4|, and it will be apparent that as the revolving cam contacts with the pushbar, the latter will push against:the row of spins,

moving them to almost upright position, or at least moving the pins sufiiciently to permit the washers accumulated at the upper ends of the pins to pass freely through the slots 28 and fall by gravity toward the lower end of the pins.

The headed or lower ends of the pins are confined in such manner as to permit the pivotal movement of the pins without displacing or dislodging the supporting ends of the pins, and the throw of the push bar is limited so that the pins cannot be overbalanced. The movement of the push bar is co-ordinated with the movement of the carrier pockets that discharge the washers to the pointed ends of the pins in order that an excessive number of washers cannot accumulate on the upper end of the pins.

The rotary cam is actuated in suitable manner, as by means of a train of gears including the drive gear 45 on the main shaft, an idler 46, and the cam gear 4'! on the cam shaft 44-, and these gears, which are enclosed in a gear case 48 are co-ordinated with the rotary carrier and its carrying-pockets for uniformity in operation.

As before stated various changes and alterations may be made in these exemplifying structures, and therefore I do not limit my invention to these specific arrangements and combinations of parts.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination in a washer-stacking machine with a rotary carrier, and a stringing-pin disposed in co-operative relation to the carrier, and means on the carrier to discharge a washer by gravity for impalement on the pin, of means for loosely supporting the lower end of the pin, a second support adjacent the carrier to loosely retain the pin in leaning position, and means for pivotally moving the pin on its lower end to clear stacked-washers from the second support.

2. The combination in a washer-stacking machine with a rotary cylindrical carrier, a row of stringing-pins disposed in co-operative relation to the carrier, and means for discharging. washers by gravity from the carrier for impalement on said stringing pins, of means forming a loose pivotal support for the lower ends of said pins, a second support adjacent the carrier adapted to maintain the pins in leaning position, and means for simultaneously moving the row of pins on its pivotal support from the second support to permit movement of the pins past the latter support.

3. The combination in a washer-stacking machine with a rotary carrier, a row of leaning stringing-pins disposed in co-operative relation to the carrier, and means for discharging washers from the carrier for impalement on the leaning pins, of means for pivotally supporting the lower ends of the pins, a second support adjacent the carrier for the leaning pins, an oscillatable throw-off bar for engagement with the row of pins, and means co-operating with the rotary carrier for actuating the throw-off bar.

4. The combination in a washer-stacking machine, of a hopper, a continuously rotating cylindrical carrier disposed with its trailing portion adapted to pass upwardly through the hopper, said carrier having an annular series of exterior peripheral pockets each adapted to pick up a washer as the pocket passes upwardly through the hopper in a horizontal plane passing substantially through the axis of the carrier, said pockets having lateral walls for loosely supporting said washers and carrying them downwardly until a pocket reaches a discharging point in said horizontal plane, and a stringing pin disposed in cooperative relation to said series of pockets to receive washers discharged from the pockets by gravity at said plane.

5. The combination in a washer-stacking machine, of a. hopper, a continuously rotating cylindrical carrier disposed with its trailing portion adapted to pass upwardly through the hopper, said carrier having an annular series of exterior peripheral pockets, said pockets being shaped to provide a semi-circular trailing-wall and a V- shaped leading Wall adapted to receive washers, and a stringing-pin disposed adjacent the carrier in cooperative relation to said series of pockets and adapted to receive washers discharged by gravity from said pockets.

6. The combination in a washer-stacking machine, of a hopper, a continuously rotating cylindrical carrier disposed with its trailing portion adapted to pass upwardly through the hopper, said carrier having an annular series of exterior peripheral pockets, each said pocket being of such a depth as to receive from the hopper washers presenting an adjoining concave face and to reject washers presenting an adjoining convex face, said pockets having lateral walls for retaining the received washers therein while the carrier is moving downwardly until a pocket reaches a discharging point in a substantially horizontal plane passing through the axis of the carrier, and a stringing-pin disposed in cooperative relation to the series of pockets to receive washers discharged therefrom at the discharging point.

CHARLES O. HOWARD. 

